Can opener attachment



Ap 1952 H. H. HORSTMANN 2,591,155

CAN OPENER ATTACHMENT Filed March 19, 1949 Patented Apr. 1, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GA N OPENER ATTAQHME Q i rbct t H ann, Alie Application March 19, 19,49, SerialNc. 82,351

3 C ai .0 1l

The present invention relates generaliy to a device for use in the process of opening canned foods.

Mechanical can openers now-adays, are considered a household necessity, and there are numerous types on the market. some of these can openers are of the type whereby can tops are severed from the can in a horizontal plane.

The most popular types however, are those whereby the cans are held vertically, are rotated, and the tops are severed all in one continuous manipulation of a handle, as is well understood. It is to this type of can opener that the instant invention is primarily, though not exclusively, directed.

It may be said, that such mechanical can openers have but one disadvantage, in that the severed top invariably gravitates into the can contents. Dlsmissing the unsanitary aspect, fishing out the top consumes time, usually requires a utensil, and when done manually, frequently results in injury to the operators hand.

Should the operator endeavor to hold the top with one hand, while rotating the handle with the other, the imminence of injury is ever present, and lacerations frequently do result.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a simple device adapted to eliminate the disadvantages mentioned.

Another object is to provide such device in a form whereby it may be attached to, or mounted oncan opener assemblies with a minimum of skill and effort.

A further object is to provide such an attachment with inherent means whereby the severed can top is not only held, but is also automatically elevated when severance has been completed, so that removal o h O n d can is acilitate d any clipping of the top into the contents of the can is obviated.

The ev e in ud s a uct on cu f rubbe or the like, and an important feature gonsists in the means provided whereby said cup may be positioned centrally on the top of any can, large or small, which is within the capacity of such mechanical can opener.

Other objects and advantages will be set forth in the description to follow, reference being had also to the accompanying drawing, wherein the preferred embodiment, and also one of many contemplated modifications of the invention, are illustrated.

In said drawing.

F 1 s a top plan i w lustra the d ic in operation; solid lines representing the invention in initial position relative to a can top in the process of being severed; broken lines representing the device in the process of being swung laterally to the left together with'the severed can top; the can and a more or less diagrammatical representation of a conventional can opener also being shown in broken lines, and a conventional wall bracket in solid lines;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged top plan View of the rear, or remote from the can, portion of the device;

Fig. 3 is an elevational view partly in section, indicated bythe line 3-3 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a side elevational View of the device in operation, the normal and corresponding final position of the device being illustrated in solid lines, the position it occupies during a can top severing operation being shown in broken lines;

Fig. 5' is a vertical sectional view on an enlarged scale, taken on line 5,.5 in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a side elevational view of a representative modified embodiment of the invention.

With reference now to Figs. 1 and 4, it is noted that the can opener is illustrated in broken lines, and that only essential elements are included. In other words, it is not deemed necessary to elaborate on the details thereof, either in the description or in the drawings, since the invention is not limited to any particular design in can openers of this type.

All known can openers of this kind however, include a frame member 8, a tapered mounting la id t erewith. t e l e ii. a cu r disc [4, and a crank it fer rotating the feed roller and thereby t e can. which is desi nated by the numeral it.

As can 18 is rotated by turning crank it in the direction indicated by arrow a. in Fig. l, the top 29 is severed from the can body by cutter disc M, a is ery w l nderstoo Numeral 22 designates a conventional bracket normally secured to a Wall or the like 24 as by screws. or otherwise. Such wall brackets have a light taper. a are provided wi h. ve y or inwardly turned flange portions 26 which receive the lateral edges of the correspondingly tapered mou n plat 4- In its preferred form, the attachment (:Qnlprising the present invention, and designated generly by num a 218. in udes thr e D a a s ent membr ne a sec on, an a ta e e elativ ly hin u p rting panel 34 for the menn b .351

As illustrated in Fig- 3, the panel member 34 has a tapered c nfi u ation corresp din to that of well known wall bracket 22, so that its insertion in the space obtaining between said bracket and the rear face of plate may be accomplished with ease.

Manifestly also, fortuitous displacement of said panel is obviated because of the inherent wedge-like conditions obtaining, as is understood.

The resilient member may be of wire, and includes a portion 36 extending forwardly from panel 34 at an upwardly inclined angle, a loop portion 38 preferably upwardly inclined relative to portion 35, and a vertically disposed portion 40.

As shown particularly in Fig. 1, the loop portion 38 is of elongated configuration and terminates in an end portion 42 which is soldered or otherwise bonded to portion 36 as indicated at 44.

The vertically disposed depending portion 48 of said member 30, is rotatably supported in and by a pair of spaced vertically alined loop' or forwardly protruding portions 46, formed in panel 34 as shown. Thus, as suggested by the arrow X in Fig. '1, the resilient member 30 may be swung laterally in either direction.

The suction cup 32 includes a concave body portion 48, a reduced or neck portion 50, and a head portion 52. The external periphery of neck portion 50 is of a size to snugly fit within the loop 38, and the head portion 52 projects beyond the margins of said loop as shown.

With this arrangement, the cup 32 may be quickly slid forwardly or rearwardly in order to approximately center it above various sizes of can tops. Thereupon, it may be depressed onto the can top without danger of displacement.

7 Normally, the device occupies the positionillustrated by full lines in Fig. 4, minus the severed can top 20. Assuming now that it is desired to open a can, the latter is placed in position in the usual manner. Should the particular opener be provided with a pivoted lever for the cutter wheel, or other mechanism not shown in the drawing, the device 28 may be manually raised slightly and swung entirely clear of the opener mechanism, as is understood. It is primarily for this purpose that the lower end 54 of vertical portion projects a considerable distance below the lowermost protrusion $6.

With the can [8 now in position, the device 28 is swung to its full line position of Fig. 1, suction cup 32 is slid forwardly or rearwardly in loop 38 until approximately above the center of the can,

whereupon the device is depressed to the broken line position thereof illustrated in Fig. 4. As a result, the suction cup 32 obtains a firm grip on the top of the can.

The operator now turns crank I6 to rotate the can and sever the top therefrom. As the can rotates, the suction cup rotates with it, so that at no time is there any danger that a severed portion of the top may dip into the contents.

When severance has been completed, the can is removed as usual, but instead of the severed top 20 falling into the can, said top is automat ically lifted to the position shown in Fig. 4, by the resiliency inherent in arm 30.

From the foregoing, it should be evident that the invention provides a simple, inexpensive device, easy to install, easy to operate.

Obviously, the particular mounting means illustrated and described may be varied without departing from the principles of the invention. In other words, the portion of arm 3!] remote from loop 28, may assume various configurations to adapt its mounting on can opener assemblies I which are not supported in wedge shaped wall brackets.

For example, in Fig. 6 an embodiment is shown wherein a small reversely bent eyelet 56 is formed in wire 30, and said wire has a depending portion 58, terminating in a horizontally projecting portion 69. With such an arrangement, the device may be mounted directly on the frame of another well known type of opener, the eyelet 56 to receive a horizontal pivot pin or screw, with the end 60 impinging against the rear edge of said frame.

Therefore, since the invention comprehends several other means for mounting the device, I do not desire to be limited to the precise details shown and described, the invention being limited only by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a can opening device of the type described which includes a tapered mounting plate adapted to be positioned in a wedge-shaped wall bracket to support said device, an attachment for automatically preventing the severed top of a can from entering the can from which it was severed, said attachment comprising a tapered panel interposed between said wall bracket and the said mounting plate, a pair of vertically spaced alined forwardly projecting protrusions formed in said panel, a length of resilient wire terminating at one end in a vertically disposed depending portion and at its other end in an elongated loop portion, and a suction cup including a concave body portion, a reduced neck portion, and a head portion, the vertically disposed depending portion of said wire being adapted to pass through the protrusions aforesaid whereby to rotatably support the wire member, the loop portion of said wire being adapted to rotatably and slidably support the suction cup aforesaid.

2. In a can opening device of the type described which includes a tapered mounting plate adapted to be positioned in a wedge-shaped wall bracket to support said device, an attachment for automatically elevating a severed can top, said attachment comprising a tapered panel interposed between said wall bracket and the said mounting plate, a pair of vertically spaced alined forwardly projecting protrusions formed in said panel, a length of resilient Wire terminating at one end in a vertically disposed depending portion and at its other end in an elongated loop portion, and a suction cup including a concave body portion, a neck portion of a diameter to slidably fit within said loop portion, and ahead portion the peripheral edge of which projects beyond the margins of said loop, the said vertically disposed depending portion of the wire extending through the protrusions aforesaid to rotat REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 174,669 Ford Mar; 14, 1876 2,265,491 Powers Dec. 9, 1941 2,296,073

. Walgo Sept. 15, 1942 

